Wire stretcher and stringer.



s u r y r. l 1 i h r v PATENTED JAN. 9, 1906.

W. In. MYERS. WIRE STRETGHER AND STRINGER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB 28 1905 ami/ mung \Mum) UNITED STATES WILLIAM F. MYERS, OF BROKEN BOW, NEBRASKA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- PATENT OFFICE.

HALF TO CHARLES H. LEISURE.

WIRE STRETCHER AND STRINGER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 9, 1906.

Application filed February 28, 1905. Serial No. 247.742.

To (all whmn it may concern:

Be it known that I, W'ILLIAM F. MYERS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Broken Bow, in the county of Custer and State of Nebraska, have invented a new and useful Improvement in IVire Stretchers and Stringers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in wire stretchers and stringers, the object being to provide improved mechanism for stringing wire fences, whether barbed, smooth, or woven wire, and for stretching the various strands preparatory to fastening them to their posts; and my invention consists in cer tain novel features of construction and combinations of parts, which will be hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view in perspective showing my invention applied in the operation of constructing a wire fence. Fig. 2 is a view of the stretching apparatus from the opposite side. Fig. 3 is a detail of the spool-spindles. Fig. 4 is a view of the spool-brake, and Fig. 5 is a View of the brake-lever.

A A represent two runners shod with steel,

preferably, and held apart by the front and rear cross-pieces 1 and 2, respectively. A standard erected at the forward end comprises the uprights 3 and 4, securely fastened to the runner and the front cross-piece and held apart at their upper ends by the crosspiece 5. finding-spindles 6 6 are journaled in these uprights, these spindles having an angular formation 7 at one end to receive a wrench whereby they are turned and provided at the opposite end with ratchet toothed wheels 8 8 and pawls 9 9, adapted to engage same and lock the spindles against re verse movement. Guy-rods 10 10 extend from the upper end of the uprights and from the front cross-piece to an eye 11, and a clevis 12, extending through this eye, is connected, by means of a chain 13, to an anchor-block or similar device 14. Braces 15 extend from the rear of the uprights to the rear edge of the front cross-piece, and by means of these braces and guy-rods the uprights are held in place, and the strain of stretching is sustained and equalized throughout the length of the upright.

On the rear cross-piece 2 several spool-spindles 16 16 extend upwardly. While I have shown but three of these with the center one preferably shorter than the outer spindles,

any number might be employed, as the object is to support a spool 17 on these spindles for each strand of wire to be strung and stretched. The spools turn on washers 18 18 at the bottom of the spindles, and a spoolbrake 19, comprising a bar having washers 20 20, is adapted to be placed over the ends of the spindles, with the washers bearing upon the hubs of the spools with greater or less pressure, as desired, to regulate the paying out of the wire as the machine is drawn along from post to post. This pressure may be increased or diminished by the brake-lever 21, which has a hook 22 bolted to it, this hook being adapted for insertion in the holes 23 in the upper ends of the outer spindles, whereby by pressing down upon the lever the required frictional contact may be obtained upon the spools. The spool-brake is connected with the front cross-piece by means of hooks 24 24, which hook into the staples 25 25 on the spool-brake, as a means for supporting the spplols and their spindles from their upper en s.

Wire-clamps 26 26 are fastened to the wires to be stretched, and from these clamps draw 4 ropes or chains 27 27 extend to the windingshaft 6 6. By turning these shafts and winding the draw ropes or chains thereon strain is exerted upon the wires until they are drawn as tight as desired, after which they are fastened to the post in the usual manner. WVhen fastened to the post, the clamps are simply released and the machine is drawn along on the ground to the next post, when the operation is repeated, the wire from the spools unwinding as it is required for use, the desired frictional pressure being applied to the spools through'the brakelever 21 upon the spool-brake.

Slight changes might be resorted to in the form and arrangement of the several parts described without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention, and hence I do not wish to be limited to the exact construction herein set forth; but,

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is

1. The combinationwith a movable frame, spindles thereon for the support of spools of wire, ofa spool-brake, hooks extending from the frame to the spool-brake and a brake-lever adapted to be hooked to one of the spoolspindles and exert pressure upon the spool brake.

prising runners, uprights and cross-pieces, of means for anchoring the machine, rods eX- tending therefrom to the uprights and one of the cross-pieces, spindles on one of the crosspieces, a brake, and rods extending from the brake to one of the cross-pieces.

( In testimony whereof I have signed this speclficatlon 1n the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM F. MYERS. Witnesses:

CHAS. H. LEISURE, ALPHA MORGAN 

